How to solve the plastic crisis

Since January 1, when China stopped accepting recyclable plastic waste from the rich world, it has received a ton of criticism for aggravating the already deep crisis of ocean pollution. But China is not the only culprit here. This is a crisis made – and worsening – throughout the developing Asia.

Only eight countries in the region are responsible for about 63% of plastic waste flowing into the oceans. A little of this junk has been exported by the rich economies. On the contrary, it is almost solely generated by newly created consumer classes in Asia, the vast majority of which do not have access to waste collection, modern landfills and incineration. Any progress in reducing ocean plastics will have to start with them.

A waste boom is almost always the result of two related phenomena: urbanization and income growth. Residents of rural areas who move into the city spend from buying unpackaged products to buying products (especially food) wrapped in plastic. As their incomes increase, their purchases increase. This growth in consumption almost never corresponds to the increase in garbage collection and disposal. In low-income countries, less than half of all litter is collected formally, and the little that is collected tends to end up in unregulated landfills. In 2015, scientists estimated that up to 88% of the waste generated in Vietnam was either thrown in unconfined landfills or thrown into landfills. In China, the rate is about 77%. In comparison, the US rate is 2%.

Every big city in developing Asia is facing this problem. Jakarta's waterways are clogged with plastic waste. In Kuala Lumpur, cases of open dumps border the high-speed train line to the airport. On the outskirts of any Chinese city, plastic bags and instant noodle cups litter the shoulder of every road. Much of this junk is found in the watercourse – and ultimately the ocean. One study found that eight of the ten rivers carrying the most plastic waste in the oceans are in Asia. The Yangtze of China alone supplies 1.5 million tons of plastic annually to the Yellow Sea.

The solutions to all this proved to be chronically elusive. China has banned retailers from providing plastic bags for free for a decade, with virtually no effect. In Indonesia, long-standing efforts to tax plastic bottles and containers are hampered by the fact that few residents have access to running or uncontaminated water. Although recycling is common in Asia, plastic is an often insurmountable challenge: technical and environmental factors make it most irrecoverable, especially in developing regions. In fact, only about 9% of plastics are recycled worldwide.

Yet there is another, much more promising option: Improve the regular collection of old waste. A recent study by the Ocean Conservancy and the McKinsey Center for Business and Environment revealed that garbage collection rates rise to 80% in just five Asian countries (China, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam). ) could reduce percent over a decade. No other solution can promise such an immediate or lasting impact.

Removing it will not be easy. The collection and disposal of household garbage the most expensive element of cities budgets of the developing world, and achieving the goal of the study would require between 4 and 5 billion dollars a year. But this is not impossible: in the United Kingdom, humanitarian organizations are pushing the government to devote 3% of its annual foreign aid to waste collection and disposal in developing countries (currently, he spends 0.3%). If this goal were adopted by other rich countries, it could change the game for ocean plastics.

To contact the author of this story:
Adam Minter at [email protected]

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Timothy Lavin at [email protected]